Pipe-bending mechanism.



Patented Aug. 7,1900.

.L A. MILLER. PIPE BENDING MEcHANlsM. #Application md may a1, 1899.) (NoModal.)

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Pit-TENT OFFICE.

'JAMES ACTON MILLER, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

PIPE-BENDING Ml-:CHANlslvL JsrEcIEICATION forming peut of Letters PatentNo. 655,259,01ated August 7, i19oo.

- Atplicttion'le May 31,1899. serial No. 718,816. (Erminia.)`

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES AcToN MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut,have invented certain new and useful Imprpvements inPipe-Bending Mechanism,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pipe-bending ma- 'chinery, and has for itsobject to provide improved mechanism for the rapid coiling ot' pipe, andparticularly shortpipe elbows and returns or bends near the threads andof less than an entire convolution or coil.

The invention consists in the novel gripping device for seizing thethreaded end of the pipe, the frictionless removable resistingbearing,andin the arrangement and combination and construction of parts, ashereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a rear elevation of my improved bending-machine, and Fig. 2is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view with thebending-former shown in centrali section on the horizontal line a; ofFig. 2, the gripping device and the resisting-bearin g released, and thepipe shown as placed ready for being secured to the bending-former. lthe pipe gripped in place and the parts in position for the operation ofbending. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectionalzview of the resistingbearing,taken fon'the line ir/,y of Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is an endview of thesame. Fig. 7 is a plan View of the machine withthe bendingformer andgripping de vice shown in horizon-2 tal section on the line o: oc ofFig. 2 and with` the gripping device in clamped position. Fig. 8 is avertical section through the grippingstirrup on the line of Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the frame or table of themachine, having the upright power-shaft'B suitably journaled in thetable. u Such shaft will usually be geared to derive the requisite powerfor bending large pipe, but the driving mechanism forms no part ofthein'vention and need not here be shown, it being understood that theshaft may be rotat-ed by any suitable means or power.

. Upon the upper end of the power-shaft is secured a bending wheel orformer D, having its periphery grooved to conform to the size groove ofthe bending-wheel, as shown.

Fig; 4 isja "plan view showing and'sha'pe of the 'pipe which it isadapted to bend. Said former does not comprise an entire wheel, as aportion of the circle is cut away on one side, as shown inr Figs. l, 3,4,

Vand 7, and a steel part E is secured thereto,

having the threaded jaw e tangential to the jaw is threaded to it orreceive the semicircumference of the ordinary threaded portion of thepipe, being practicrallyone-half part of asplit nut, and a correspondingjaw f,

forming the other half of the split nut, is secured in a stirrup F,which is hinged to the bending-former, the respective limbs of thestirrup passing upon the upper and lower sides of the wheel;` Said jawsor half-nuts are slightly counterbored, as shown at 7 7 in Fig. 7, toreceive the smooth portion of the pipe above the thread suiiiciently toprevent the Vconcentration of the bending strain at the base of thethread, and consequent breaking of the pipe at that place. The fixed jawmay have a plain groove, ,as the strain -is least on that'part.

The stirrup is hinged to the bending-former by a pivot, having a centraljournal 44 fitting the bearing in the bending-former, and is provided atits ends with journals 55, eccentric to the central bearing, which arereceived in the bearings in the ends of the upper and lower limbs of thestirrup. A lever 66 is secured to the upper end of the pivot above thestirrup, and by means of Vthis construction the jaw f may be powerfullyclamped upon the pipe by a quarter-,turn of said lever,wlienV thestirrup and its jaware swung around from the released position (shown inFig. 3) to the clamping position, (shown in Fig. 4,) the lever in suchclamping action being turned to bring the eccentric journal 44 on adead-center, with the 'strain on the journals 55.

To prevent the pipe from swinging with the bending-former in operation,a resistance bearing or block H is provided, movably fitted between theribs or guide-flanges h ou the frame as close as possible to the jaw c.`Said guides extend at a right angle to theV pipe, and the resistance-bearing is adapted to slide inthe groove or way thus formed toward oraway from the pipe. The position of the resistance-block in operation isin j uxtaposition to the pipe, as shown in Fig. 4'; but for The thepurpose of releasing the pipe or placingr it in the machinei-t isrequisite that-the' bearing be moved back to the position in Fig; 3.'

This movement may be accomplished, preferabl y, by a parallel motioncomprising a-pair of toggle-joints, with links h2 h3, coupled, re-

spectively, to-ears'z' on the `bearing and ears j on a bracket k on theframe, the opposite ends of each pair of links being connected togetherto form toggle-joints, and .the pair of joints being coupled by a link88 to insure parallel movement of the joints. A handle or lever m isattached"- to l'one of the togglethe bearing without yielding in thewellknown action of toggle-joints. The resistance-bearin g may comprisea block H',grooved on the side adjacent the pipe to receive ther same,but is preferably provided with a semi-v` circular lshell 37 which isperforated, asf' shown in Fig. 5, to receive antifriction-ballsj n,projecting slightly-interiorly to the inner., face of the shell andbearing against the in The pipe as` ternal surface ofthe block H.

the operation of the bending-former.

In operation with the resistance-bearing..

drawn back and the gripping device released,

e', and the gripping device, with the jaw or half-nut f", then swungaround upon it, las

shown in Fig. 4, which securely fastens the end inthe jaw-e', and thegripping device then being tightened by the eccentric action j and lever66 the pipewill be held rigidlyV clamped tothe bending-former.

ance-bearing-then being thrustup to the may readily be disengaged fromthe machine by releasing .the gripping device andresistance-bearing,.as` hereinbefore described.

maybe similarly conducted into suitable" cavities 72 inthe AblockH and.discharged The resistupon the pipe through suitable orifices 73 as thevlatter' is .drawn .thronghtheresistance- `bearing for'the purpose ofsupercially chill- 7o ing the exterior surface of the pipe and in-Vsuri-ng greater compression of the particles of metal at the internalside of the bend, thus 'preventing to apconsiderablef degree thereduction of the original thickness of the pipe 75 whereA bent bystretching or extension of the outer side of the pipe as it passesaround the bending-former.

To lighten the resistance-block, flanges u are cast upon the lower sidethereof to be re- 8o ceivedbetween the guide-flanges Vh' on the table,it being unnecessary that all said space between the flangesb'e filledwithmetal; A shoulder lOis provided on fthe shaft to support thebending-former, and a nut 12 atthe 85 upper end of Athe shaft Vsecuresthe bendingformer in place, but permits readyremoval thereof forchan-ging for different sizesof pipe. The resistance-bearing may alsoreadily be changed if .the 'bracket -Zc isbolted or other- 9o nation ofa bending-former, a lixed jawor l .'.half-nut Vsecured thereto axiallyltan gential4 to it is drawn through the groove thus bears j against theballs, reducing the friction and facilitating theprocess of pipe-bendingin the curve of ,the .bending-former, and. amov- 'able jaw or half-nuthinged orfpivoted .tothe bending-former and comprising with thetxed jawa split nutfor receiving.andclampinga vroo threaded pipe, substantiallyas and for the i purpose specified. asfshown in Fig.'3, the pipe may beplaced' with its threaded end 9 inthe jaw or half-nut 2. uInpipe-bending mechanism the combination ot' a y bending-former, a fixedYjaw or half-nntsecureld thereto axially Ytangential to 1 o 5 the curveof the'bending-former xand a movable jaw or half-nuthinged .or pivotedto the .bending-former by-an eccentric and comprising withthe fixed jawa split nut for receiving and clampinga threadedpipe substantiallyas I1o and for the purposespecifled.

'3. In pipe-bending mechanism the .combination of ,a bending-former afixed jaw .or half-.nut secured thereto axially tangential to the curve`of thebendingformera stirrup 115 spanning the bending-former and.hinged or .pivoted thereto, ay jaw orfhalf-nutcarried by the stirrup`and comprising with the fixed` j aw a split nut for receivinga threadedpipe, and

A clamping means for forcing the same together, 12o I-n the action ofthis machine the use of a substantially asand forthe purpose specified.

4.k In v pipe-bendingmechanism the combination of a-bendingfformer,,ariixed `jaw or half-nut secured thereto axially tangential to 1 2 5the curve of the bending-former a'stirrup carrying a jaw or half-.nutand received upon or spanning the bending-former pivot-ally connectedthereto and eccentric yclamping lmeans for compressing the movable jawVupon Athe 13o 5. In pipe-bending mechanism the colnbination of abending-for1ner, clamping mechanism for securing a pipe .to the former,a resistance-bearing fitting the pipe on the side of the strain andantifriction rolls or balls arranged in said bearing in a series aroundthe periphery of the pipe-groove to sustain the thrust of the pipeagainst the bearings substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In pipe-bending mechanism the combination of a bending-former',clamping mechanism for securing a pipe to the bendingformer, a movableresistance-bearing fitting the pipe on the side of the strain, frictionrolls or balls arranged in said bearing in a series around the peripheryof the pipe-groove to sustain the thrust of the pipe thereon andmechanism for throwing the bearing into Working position against thepipe or releasing it therefrom, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

7. In pipe-bending mechanism the combination of a bending-former,clamping-mechanism for securing the pipe to the bendingformer, a movableresistance-bearing fitting the pipe on the side of the strain, frictionrolls or balls arranged in said bearing to sustain the thrust of thepipe thereon, and a togglejoint acting between the bearing andanabutment on the frame and adapted for throwing the bearing in working.position against the pipe or releasing it therefrom substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

8. In pipe-bending mechanism the combination with a resistance-bearingof a pipe having an outlet within the pipe-receiving cavity of thebearing and adapted for connection with a cooling-liquid supply forchilling the surface of the pipe preparatory to bending substantially asand for the purpose specifled.

9. In pipe-bending mechanism the combination of a bending-former,threaded clamping mechanism for securing a pipe tothe former, and aresistance-bearing provided with a groove or way fitting and adapted toreceive the longitudinal semisection of the pipe and sustain the thrustthereof substantially as and for the purpose specified.

lO. In pipe-bending mechanism the combination of a bending-former, afixed jaw or half-nut secured thereto axially tangential to the curve ofthe bending-former, and a movable jaw or half-nut hinged or pivoted tothe bending-former and comprising with the fixed jaw a split nut forreceiving and clamping a threaded pipe, said jaws being provided withorifices within their threaded grooves or ways adapted to be connectedwith a cooling-liquid supply and to discharge the same upon the heatedthreaded portions 'of the pipe, substantially as and for the purposespecied.

11. In pipe-bending mechanism the combination of a bending-formerprovided with a pipe-receiving groove or seat, a threaded halfnut forengaging and clamping the threaded end of a pipe in said groove or seat,and clamping means for operating and holding the halfnut in position onthe former, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

JAMES AGTON MILLER. Witnesses:

LINUS BARNES, GEORGE L. BARNES.

